The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-11-08

'uly Ianhllaf 10 you, who above all
Others possessed great personal industry
ana practical sagacity. They did much
TO elevate the social status, the integrity
and the honor Of the physician They
gathered unto themselves the divergent
and scattered theories Of ancient medicine
and transmitted TO future generations a
q rich knowledge and valuable information
mat Tor all time 10 come will make their
lame and reputation more enduring than
brass. The harvest in the great fields of
labor, planted and wrought by these
pioneers, has been for the past six
hundred years and is now being gathered
and garnered. II is not expected that in
the lew years ! have, 20 say upon this oc-
cason that | should even notice in this
brief and unsatisfactory way the progress
OF medicine in this century. The mass OF
details becomes voluminous. The century
opens with the modern school Of medicine
that Is preserved 10 our day the capstone
OF positive methods the research in
physical science has gradually sup
planted tho importance attached to
theory and abstract reasoning. Thus
run good 10 better, conquest
10 conquest has your science
pushed its way, until today il stands Sec
IL is not alone an effort TO alleviate the ills
OF humanityfrom the perils OF the grave,
to find remedies united with practical oX-
pcricnce, that may call the trembling soul
from the shades OF death, that makes your
profession an honor 10 itself and an inyal-
liable aid 10 the worldSbut upon YOU rests
the responsibility OF settling author
itativcly all questions pertaining 10
medical Jurisprudence aud hygiene.
Wherever medical knowledge is TO
DO applied TO the purposes of the
law, the courts and jurics OF your country
await as all important your opinions and
your testimony before passing upon qucs-
tons affecting the vital rights Of the indi-
yidual citizen, or the injuries 10 the per-
son. Legislative cnactmcnts affecting the
legality OF marriage or the rights Of divorce,
when applied TO your examination of
physical circumstances and conditions,
may dissolve the solemn VOWS made
nj tho altar. Where two or more
die by common accident or cause,
and courts Of equity are perplexed with
rights OF inheritance and distribution,
your judgment may make one survivor
rich, another poor We know that mcdi-
cine has ever been called 30 the aid Of the
law in determining whether certain dis
orders or defects Of the mind disqualily
one from the management OF his own ni-
fans or prevent him from entering into u
binding contract, and judging from the
growing tendency Ol the pres
ent day 1t may frequently DO
your duty TO lit a veil and expose
the criminal who, in his desperate effort
Ia save himself, has plead insanity in iusti-
| hcation OF murder We recognize this
association ~ representing the medical
/ talent Of these sister States, whose future
prosperity must bC much In common, alike
! piit,d d, mature. with an undivided inter
,,t Ia the blessings bestowed by this, the
grlndcst Of all rivers, each rich in
the possession and ownership Of
alluyial lands in the Mississippi
valley, whose people are one people,
blessed with the same delightful climate,
aud alike subject Ia the same atmospheric
and infectious diseases. The progress that
is being made In rapid locomoiion and
easy transit in the Mississippi valley aud
Throughout this entire country multplits
the facilities Tor the propagation OF these
infectious aud contagious diseases,
and m those facilities aro null
tplicl 40 increases your re-
sponsiblity Of suggesting and adopting
stringent and effective measures ol pre-
vcniion. IN such matters Of sanitation
You arr looked upon w. the glarlilus Of
the public health. THE people OF the
States Of Mississippi and Arkansas arc "a
bc congratulated upon legislative enact
mcnis regulating the practice ul medicine
within their respective States. Whether
these laws arc broad and comprc-
hcnsiyc enough to sufficiently meet
the requirements of the people, or whether
they meet the appreciation OF the local pro-
icssion, anu not able toslatc. But however
mcagcr the proyiciuns of that law may Ice,
IL Is 1T least a stop IN the right direction.
Poor Tennessee remains the paradise OF
those who cannot practice elsewhere.
Unto us M unto haven Of rest come the
weary Charlntans and quackl, the ioaih-
erred and painted Indian doctors,
hus'ics in gildcd chnriols, With large
and smull bottles of curc- llls, faith impus-
| tons and inventors generally Of all colon Of
nOsiIums and squirt roofs Experience
and education protect certain classes In
every community, but the poor, the ignnr-
ant, thu supcmitiousan and incrcdulous have
/ We with MS always. These are the easy
prey of the itincmnt medicine yultuc.
/ Many an honest but crcdulous aud
| his home for the market aud gone
hungry ON the morrow, having exchanged
his last cent of money with some shtioking
squnlling mountcbank Tor bottle oi coch.
/ meal water with which 10 rub his rhoumn.
/ tism. laughter Let Il be- the aim. Of
your association, and the profession punpr.
| ally, 10 adopt strong and stringent laws,
not for your protection but Tor the prnlcc-
| ton oi the people. ! happen Ia know that
] the State medical society ct Iunncsscc
| has made commUndahlc efforts
| IN this dipclion. last winter o. speaker
Of the House of Representative, | was In
| a position 10 lend helping hand Till
WIS prepared covering the whole question.
/ II Wa introduced aud picrrcd 10 COM
miticc, HcVcn ar eight ut whom were
physicians. Probably this h where
the mistake occurred. The country
physicians considered the bill 10 be
the accumulation ot all the ideas II
the town doctor, and the brothers dis
agreed, divided among themselves. aud
the hill WIS lost. Probably had the hill
been vicrp'd tu the committee ON lltcign
relations, or military affairs, or somc com.
mittcc ou which there was no doctor We
might have hoped iur better succpss. Ap.
plnusc and laughter Probably the
robust, and after al the most substantial
aud certain relief from the mountrhiuL b.
la the encouragement and fostering II
your medical ruiDFuA MCmphisispmulu IT
hens Prom II mud ium Ike temples of
learning annually ~ forth into the world
young men we'll educated and we'll
equipped with al the Instruments 81 mrdi.
cal sriCnco a. attack and bear upon the
siroughods Of crrdulity aud superstition.
Lct M hope. gentlemen, that your meet.
ing here may bc pleasant aud profitable.
that by Interchange with one another of